Sample case



April 24, 1934. w PLUMMER 1,956,227

AAAAAAAA SE April 24, 1934. w MMMMM R 1,956,227

Patented Apr. 24, 1934 j UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAMPLE CASE Lloyd W. Plummer, Bloomington, Ill. Application August 2, 1933, Serial No. 683,398 2 Claims- (Cl. 190-17) This invention relates to a sample case for As shown in Figure 1 the series of trays are use inthe display of specimens of merchandise supported on a base 2 and extended half-way such as groceries, jewelry, candy, etc. and it is across the base from side to side. Thus when designed for use especially upon the structure the trays of both series are in their normal or disclosed in my co-pending application filed July closed positions they will extend throughout the l, 1933, Serial Number 678,674. width of the base.

It is an object of the invention to provide a Each of the trays 1, except the top tray, has case which is more sturdy in construction than a pair of parallel inclined levers 3 and 3 fulheretofore, there being provided a double link crumed thereon at 4, the fulcrums being posiconnection between the several trays of the case tioned along the horizontal center line of the 5 whereby the series of trays which are provided, end of the tray and equidistant from the verwill not buckle when extended from their normal tical center thereof. One of the levers 3 has an or closed positions but will be supported in a arm 5 extended upwardly above its tray and more rigid manner than heretofore, pivotally attached at 6 to the tray thereabove at A further object is to provide a specially reina point in alinement with the fulcrurns 4. 70. forced structure of this character wherein series The lever 3' on each tray has a downwardly of trays can be mounted either for vertical or extended arm 7 pivotally connected at 8 to the for oblique lift, depending upon the requirements next adjoining tray. Thus each of the trays 1 of the user, it being possible to produce said seexceptthe top one is provided at each end with ries of trays as units and to assemble them with four alining fulcrum points indicated at 8, 4, 4

the base portion of the structure in such a way as and 6. j to produce either type of case, namely, a verti- The upper end of each lever B is connected cal lift or an oblique lift. to the adjacent lever 3 of the same tray by a link With the foregoing and other objects in view 9 and another link 10 connects the lower end of 5- which will appear as the description proceeds, the said lever 3 to its companion lever 3. These two 0 invention consists of certain novel features of links are parallel and, with levers 3 and 3', form construction and arrangement of parts hereina parallelogram. The lower tray of the series is after more fully described and pointed out in connected at each end to its base 2 by pivotally the claims, it being understood that changes may joining the arm 70f its lever 3' to the base as inbe made in the construction and arrangement dicated at 11. It is also joined to the base by an 5 of parts without departing from the spirit of the elongated link 12 pivotally attached to the base invention as claimed. at 13 and to the bottom trays l at 14. A similar In the accompanying drawings the preferred arrangeme iS provided for Joining the pp forms of the invention have been shown. ay 1 t0 the heXl? adjoining y t reunder. 5 In said drawings: The arm 5 of lever 3 being pivotally attached to Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end porthe uppe y at 15 While an elongated i k 16 tion of a case embodying the present improve which is parallel to lever 3 is pivotally joined ments, parts being broken away and one of the at its lower end t0 the adjacent y 1 Wh e series of trays being shown in its normal or its upp end is p lly attached to the upper 40 closed position while the other series is extended y 8 S OW at 18.

' obliquely. With the tray connected as described it will Figure 2 is an end elevation of a portio 0f be noted that each tray is joined at its end to a modified form of case wherein the trays are t e next djo g tr y by two levers or a lever mounted for a vertical lift. and a link, thereby insuring rigid support of 45 Figure 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the a t y w i s ted b iquely as shown at form shown in Figure 2 showing the tray lifted the right of Figure Thlls there is I10 dan er vertically, of the tray sagging when extended outwardly for In the present invention two series of trays p y Purposes and a more Substantial Strucare provided. These trays, which have been inture is provided than would be possible other- 50 dicated generally at 1, are duplicates and norwise.

" mally rest one upon the other. The trays are It will be noted that each series of trays conconnected at both ends by a novel arrangement stitutes a complete unit, these units being 0pof links and levers and as the connections at both positely disposed so that the trays of the units, ends are the same it has been deemed necessary in the structure shown in Figure 1, can be lifted '55; to illustrate only those connections at one end. obliquely so as to diverge upwardly. llO

Should it be desired to produce a case having series of trays arranged for vertical lifts the same assembly would be used in the construction of the units with this modification, namely, the positions of the two series of trays illustrated in Figure 1 would be reversed, the links 12 and the arms 7 would be dispensed with and the inner sides of the trays would be pivotally connected at their lower corners as indicated at 19 in Figures 2 and 3. Instead of joining the series of trays to their base 20 by means of links 12 and arms '7, each of the lower trays of the two series will be connected to the base by a lever 21. The levers normally diverge downwardly and are joined by crossed links 22 attached to the levers 21 above and below and at equal distances from their fulcrums 23. Thus by pulling upwardly on the two series of trays as shown in Figure 3 they will tilt about their pivotal connections 24 with the levers 21 and will assume inclined positions as shown in Figure 3, the trays of each series being inclined oppositely to the corresponding trays of the other series to which they are pivotally connected at 19.

It will be noted that in the structure shown in Figures 2 and 3 the same arrangement of parallelograms made up of levers 3 and 3 is provided as in Figure 1, these levers being joined by the parallel links 9 and 10.

A latch rod 25 is pivotally connected to one of the trays of one series and is slidable in an eye 26 on the corresponding tray of the other series, this rod being formed with an off-set 27 and being provided with a spring 28 whereby off-set can be shifted into engagement with the eye to hold the trays in their elevated and inclined positions.

Importance is attached to the fact that by connecting the trays in the manner described the units can be assembled in quantities and subsequently can be used either in an oblique lift construction such as shown in Figure 1 or a vertical lift construction as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

When so produced they are provided with pro jecting ears 29 for receiving the pivots 19 but these ears can be cut ofi readily if the units are to be assembled as in Figure 1.

What is claimed is:

1. A unit for use in vertical or oblique lift display cases comprising superposed trays normally resting one upon the other, a pair of levers fulcrumed between their ends upon the end of each tray, one lever of each pair having a downwardly extended arm pivotally connected at its lower end to the next adjoining tray thereunder and the other lever of each pair having an upwardly extended arm pivotally connected to the next adjoining tray thereabove, all of the levers being parallel and the pivotal connections between each tray and all of the levers thereon being disposed in alinement, and parallel links connecting the levers of each pair and cooperating therewith to provide a parallelogram.

2. In a device of the class described a base, and opposed display units mounted on the base, each unit comprising a series of superposed trays normally resting one upon the other, movable means connecting the lower tray of each unit to the base and permitting relative movement of the two units, and connections between the trays at each end, said connections including a pair of parallel levers pivotally connected between their ends to the end of each tray, one of the levers having a downwardly extending arm pivotally connected to the next adjoining tray thereunder and the other lever of each pair having an upwardly extending arm pivotally joined to the next adjoining tray thereabove, the pivotal connections between all of the levers and any one of the trays being disposed in alinement, and parallel link connections between the levers of each pair above and below the fulcrums of said levers.

LLOYD W. PLUMMER. 

